Instant-wind bobbins



May 30, 1967 S. F ADAMS ET AL r 3,321,901

INS TANT-WIND BOBB INS Filed May 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS:

SAMUEL a ADAMS l9 EDMOND H. GUERIN,JR.

b FIG. 5 flagwmfim 5%),

ATTORNEYS May 36, 3967 S, ADAMS ET AL INSTANT-WIND BOBBINS 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

Filed May l3, 1965 PRiOR ART INVENTORS SAMUEL E ADAMS ATTORN EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,321,901 Patented May 30, 1967 3,321,901 INSTANT-WIND BQBBINS Samuei lF. Adams, Greenvilie, S.C., and Edmond H.

Guerin, .lr., Woonsocket, R.I., assignors to American Paper Tube Company, Woonsocket, R.I., a corporation of Rhotle island Filed May 13, 1965, Ser. No. 455,526 7 Claims. (Cl. 57-131) The present invention relates to improvements in highspeed winding of textile yarns and like materials, and, in one particular aspect, to novel and improved internallydriven tubular bobbins of low-cost construction having uniquely-shaped lower end surfaces which efficiently promote the substantially instantaneous start-up of winding under essentially optimum conditions and substantially eliminate certain troublesome waste and breakage problems.

As is Well known in the textile machinery art, packages of yarn or other textile threads are commonly collected upon spindle-mounted tubular cores or bobbins for further processing and dispensing, it being important that such bobbins be of predetermined external dimensions and have smooth surface characteristics, that they be of relatively light weight and inexpensive, and that they lend themselves to rotation and collection of yarn at very high speeds without developing excessive numbers of socalled ends down (i.e. yarn breakages). The bobbin and spindle assemblies which have been evolved over the course of many years in this well-developed art have assumed a variety of structural forms and have been fabricated of many different materials; however, the type of assembly to which the present invention is particularly directed involves a generally tubular bobbin which is mated rather loosely with an associated spindle over substantially its full length and is slip-fitted in a frictionally-driven relationship with the spindle near one of its ends. Commonly, such bobbins are slightly tapered, or conically-sloped, and may be made of impregnated paper, wood, or plastic. Large numbers of these are dropped, empty, onto the numerous upstanding spindles of a winding machine, after a few turns of yarn have first been wrapped manually or automatically around the base or acorn portion of each of the spindles, and the spindles are then rapidly accelerated to the very high rotational speeds which are modernly required for heightened productivity. Package build-up on each bobbin is conventionally regulated by a surrounding movable ring-traveller, which is designed to have the yarn pulled through it at an optimum angle minimizing the likelihood of breakage. Because even slight surface irregularities on bobbins can tend to disturb the yarn and cause occurrence of ends down conditions, it has been commonly accepted that the lower end surfaces of bobbins should be preserved very smooth and even, except in those different type of assemblies where end clutching is relied upon to drive them and interfitting clutch projections and slots are employed for that purpose. However, use of the internally-driven bobbin with a smooth-surfaced lower end has long been attended by three hitherto unavoidable dithculties which have seriously handicapped the winding of textile materials: first, upon rapid starting of the spindles, the yarn has frequently broken, resulting in ends down, costly loss of winding capacity, and need for immediate corrective action by the operator; second, yarn has tended to collect in large amounts about the base or acorn of the spindles before ever beginning to form packages on the empty bobbins, with consequent waste of material and incessant need for cleaning; and, third, the associated travellers have unexpectedly become very quickly contaminated by fibers, with the result that operating loses are suffered during the frequent changes of the traveller which are needed to reduce yarn. breakage. In accordance with the present teachings, all of the aforesaid difliculties are very greatly reduced through remarkably simple and inexpensive structural innovations in bobbins of the type under discussion. These innovations are concerned with the lower end surfaces of the bobbins, which, as has been noted above, are normally rendered as smooth and regular as possible to avoid yarn breakage; however, practice of this invention requires that these end surfaces be shaped in form which would ordinarily be thought to be troublesome, but, instead, proves to develop immediate winding with optimum efiiciency. The preferred configuration involves alternate end depressions and protrusions, in direction axially of the elongated bobbin, which guide the spindle-Wrapped yarn substantially tangentially outwardly from the spindle.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide novel and improved internally-driven textile bobbins of inexpensive and uncomplicated construction which causes immediate and efficient winding of yarn on the bobbins upon startup of the spindles.

A further object is to provide unique textile bobbins of the internally-driven type which have lower end surfaces contoured to develop the substantially optimum angle of pull of yarn when winding commences.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved textile bobbin having uniquely-indented or slotted lower end surfaces shaped to pick up yarn which has been wrapped about a mated spindle and to promote an initial optimum angle of pull of the yarn through an associated traveller and immediate winding of the yarn upon the lateral surfaces of the bobbin, without involving a manual snagging or fastening of the yarn to the bobbin.

By way of a summary account of practice of this invention in one of its aspects, an elongated tubular paper bobbin member of generally conventional external configuration and having internal drive provisions is equipped with upper and lower annular end caps of sheet metal, the lower end cap having its annular lower end surface pro-formed to exhibit an angular array of alternate protrusions and depressions, in direction axially of the bobbin. Each of the protrusions extends radially outwardly to the outer periphery of the end cap and its sides, in the angular directions around the end cap, extend sub stantially tangentially to the inner peripheral surfaces of the end cap, and, hence, to the outer peripheral surfaces of a cooperating mated spindle. Yarn which has first been wrapped about the base of the spindle prior to donning of the bobbin tends to be pulled immediately against one of the tangentially-oriented sides of one of the aforesaid protrusions when the spindle-bobbin assembly is accelerated into high-speed rotation, and thus is drawn through the associated traveller in an optimum angular relationship which causes the traveller to be propelled instantaneously and also causes the yarn to be laid upon the exterior of the bobbin without first collecting upon the spindle.

Although the features of this invention which are considered to be novel are set forth in the appended claims, further details as to preferred practices of the invention, as well as to the further objects and advantages thereof, may be most readily comprehended through reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is partly cross-sectioned view of a mated high-speed bobbin and spindle assembly, together with an associated ring-traveller unit, the bobbin being of an improved form having a specially-shaped lower end which promotes instantaneous winding with reduced likelihood of yarn breakage;

FIGURE 2 represents an enlarged fragment of the 3 bobbin in the assembly of FIGURE 1, viewed from the side;

FIGURE 3 provides an end view of the lower part of the bobbin shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial illustration, in perspective, of a fragment of the lower end of the bobbin shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 depicts the relationships between the yarn, traveller, and improved bobbin-spindle assembly, from below taken along section line 5-5 in FIGURE 1',

FIGURE 6 is an illustration comparable to that in FIGURE 5, showing relationships of the yarn, traveller and bobbin-spindle assembly in a prior art type of arrangement.

FIGURE 7 depicts an improved instant-wind bobbin fitted with a plastic lower end member having alternative tangentially-oriented yarn pick-up surfaces;

FIGURE 8 is a view, from below, of the bobbin of FIGURE 7, in association with a mated spindle and yarn; and

FIGURE 9 is a pictorial illustration, in perspective, of a fragment of the lower end of the bobbin appearing in FIGURES 7 and 8.

The apparatus portrayed in FIGURE 1 includes a spindle structure of a known type wherein a substantially cylindrical metal spindle shaft 10 is rotated about a vertical axis 11-11 on support bearings (not shown) carried upon the usual textile machine spinning frame with which such spindles are commonly associated. Near its lower end, the spindle is driven at high speeds by way of the whirl 12, and, at itsupper end or'tip, 13, the rotatable spindle is tapered and rounded to form a seating surface onto which may be fitted the inner seating surface of an annular inselt 14- held within the laminated resin-impregnated tubular paper bobbin 15. The sloping and shaping of these respective seating surfaces are such that an essentially line-type small-area contact is developed between them, this being a condition which is of known advantage in permitting the bobbin to be dropped in place and to seat itself accurately on the metal spindle for rotation thereby, without locking the bobbin in place so tightly as to impair its doffing. Driving torques are transmitted to the bobbin from the spindle tip, with some relative slippage being possible. In initally using this type of assembly, a spinning frame attendant first wraps a few turns of the to-be-wound yarn 16 about the base or acorn portion 17 of the stationary spindle, thus lightly securing in place one end of the yarn being taken from an overhead supply (not illustrated). This yarn is also looped through the lightweight metal traveller 18 which is loosely snapped over the shaped rail of a ring 19. Conventional mechanisms (not shown) raise and lower the ring in a prescribed manner insuring that the yarn package will build up in a predetermined form on the bobbin. Once the bobbin has been dropped into the illustrated mated relationship with the spindle, the initial yarn wraps are enclosed within its hollow base, and the yarn 16 must pass across the lower end, 20, of the bobbin in extending between the traveller and spindle. Typically, the ring and the traveller which it carries are at a low position near the base of the bobbin, such as the position illustrated, when the spindle is to be started up; any yarn slack which may be present is quickly removed as the spindle accelerates rapidly (for example, 2-3 seconds) from standstill to a high operating speed (example: 10,000-1l,50() r.p.m.). These rapid accelerations, which are necessary to promote high machine productivity, ordinarily tend to result in frequent yarn breakage, probably because of the frictional abrasions of the yarn as it is drawn across the lower end of the bobbin and because of tendencies of the yarn to bind in the traveller while it (the yarn) is not being drawn at the preferred angles and the traveller is not being propelled at the optimum speeds around the ring. Moreover, it has heretofore been found that, on start-up, if the yarn does not first break, it commonly winds around the exposed portion 17 of the base or acorn of the spindle, building up a sizeable unwanted mass of yarn there before finally overlapping onto the exterior of the bobbin where it belongs. Such spindle accumulations represent waste, and, because they interfere with proper subsequent seating of other bobbins, must be cleaned away regularly at the expense of both time and labor. In addition, the traveller tends to become loaded and contaminated by fibers shed from the yarn, probably as the result of improper pull-through of the yarn during start-ups while the traveller is not being propelled in the intended manner, and such contaminations of fiber-shed must also be cleaned or a new traveller substituted to permit efficient operation of the machine.

Bobbin i5 is equipped with annular metal end caps 15a and 151) at the top and bottom, respectively, the top end cap 15a serving merely its usual function as a smoothsurfaced trim and cover member for the impregnatedpaper tube. However, the lower end cap is of a unique irregular configuration along its lower annular end surface, as is shown more clearly in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. That lower end surface includes six axially-extending projections 15c15h alternated with six shallow axiallyrecessed depressions or indentations 5i15n, the respective projections and indentations in each set being of substantially the same physical proportions. The illustrated configuration of the sheet-metal end cap is readily formed with dies, for example. Importantly, the two sides of each of the projections, extending from the outer periphery of the cap toward (but not necessarily to) its inner periphery 15p, each lie substantially along a tangent to the inner periphery 15p and to the outer periphery 10p (FIGURE 3) of a mated spindle. Such tangents 21-21 and 22-22 are specifically illustrated (FIGURE 3) in connection with the opposite sides of projection 15d. These sides extend in opposite directions to permit advantageous operation with spindles rotating in either direction, for reasons which will be more evident from discussions which follow. For optimum operation, these oppositely-inclined tangents should not intersect within the limits of the outer periphery 150, else the yarn picked up by the sides of the projection will not be pulled from the traveller at a point on the bobbin which is at desired maximum distance from its center of rotation along axis 11-11. As shown, the inner end cap surfaces 15g near the inner periphery and the outer end cap surfaces 151' near the outer periphery are even and rounded, to avoid cutting or undue abrasion of the yarn Because of the aforesaid substantially tangential orientations of the sides of the end projections, the yarn pickup necessarily involves a substantially tangential orientation also, such that the yarn leaving the spindle surface, near the spindle base where a few turns were originally wrapped, experiences no sharp bends. This fact contributes significantly to the improvement in ends down statistics, it being found that with bobbin end structures like that of FIGURES 14 yarn breakages are relatively infrequent. The tangential take-off of yarn 16 from the outer periphery of acorn portion 17 of the spindle 15 is portrayed in FIGURE 5, .at the moment when the yarn has just been picked up by one of the sides of the projection 150 While the bobbin and spindle are accelerating in the clockwise direction of arrow 23. Depression 15i, into which the yarn falls, is of sufficient angular width to prevent the yarn from overlapping the adjacent side of the next projection 15d. Immediately after the yarn is picked up in this manner, it is then pulled through the ring traveller 18, the yarn then tending to take up a substantially tangential relationship to the outer periphery of the bobbin end cap at the point where the yarn-holding side of projection 15c meets that outer periphery. The latter condition is illustrated in double-dashed linework, with the rotating traveller, 18, lagging the angular orientation of the take-off point for yarn l6. Propulsion of the traveller, by the yarn, along ring path 19 in direction of arrow 24 (i.e., the same angular direction as that of spindle-bobbin rotation) commences smoothly and rapidly as soon as the yarn has been picked up by one of the projections at the lower end of the bobbin, and, importantly, the yarn is at once wound directly onto the exterior of the bobbin, as intended, without first collecting on the base of the spindle. If, on the other hand, a conventional srn0oth-ended bobbin is used, with the usual rounded end cap b illustrated in FIGURE 6, the yarn 16" is pulled through the traveller 18 directly from the spindle acorn or base, 17, rather than from a point on the outer periphery of the bobbin, such as point 25. The operating differences are such that with the improved bobbin, materially less fiber-shed from the yarn accumulates on and loads the traveller, and, as a result, the yarn passing through the traveller does not break as often and the traveller requires changing less frequently. In this connection, it should be borne in mind that the ringtraveller combinations are designed and proportioned for use with bobbins of predetermined external diameters, such that the yarn will take up an optimum angle in relation to the bobbin and ring for purposes of producing forces tending to propel the traveller; the angular relationship of yarn to the spindle base or acorn is not optimum and, hence, the operating conditions are imperfect during the start-up of conventional bobbins while the yarn is not yet laid upon the exteriors of the bobbins. However, these optimum conditions are duplicated as soon as the yarn is picked up by an end projection on the improved bobbin. The need for improved designs and lowered frictions in the ring-traveller combination is thus not as critical as was heretofore expected. The success with which unwanted build-up of waste on the base or acorn portion of spindles is avoided is dramatic in the case of the improved bobbins; the yarn is found to be thrown up onto the exterior surfaces of the bobbin immediately, where it enters into the formation of a package in the desired manner, and virtually no waste accumulation is encountered.

In FIGURES 79 an alternative construction of a generally similar resin-impregnated internally-driven bobbin 26 is depicted, the lower end of that bobbin being fitted with a member 26b of molded plastic material having a substantial radial thickness 27 (FIGURE 8). That end member exhibits two diametrically-opposite narrow axial depressions or slots 26c and 260., which separate the two symmetrical angularly-wide protrusions 26a and 26 As in the previously-considered embodiment of FIGURES 1-5, the sides of the protrusions are oriented substantially tangentially to the inner periphery of the bobbin end and to the exterior of the spindle base portion 17a, about which the yarn 16a is initially wrapped. Preferably, these protrusions are somewhat conically tapered, inwardly from the lower end, as shown at 28 in FIGURE 9, to avoid having the yarn witness sharp discontinuities in crossing over the end. The aforementioned beneficial effects are developed with this construction also.

Comparative evaluations have been made to establish the character and extent of certain improvements realized with the newly-shaped bobbin ends when operated in the general manner represented in FIGURE 1. For this purpose, a standard (#21) spindle having a belt-driven pulley or whirl diameter of 0.875" was repeatedly accelerated from standstill to about 16,000 rpm. in approximately 0.03 minutes, by an electric motor having a pulley with a 1.700" diameter. The usual ring-traveller combination was replaced, for accurate control, by a traveller simulator in the form of an adjustable-height guide through an eye of which yarn was permitted to pass to the spindle at a radial distance of 1.125, thereby duplicating the location of a traveller on a standard 2.25" ring. All tests were performed with 18-count 100% cotton yarn ten feet in length, two turns of this yarn being manually wrapped around the spindle blade before each donning of each of the bobbins under evaluation. Light tension, like that experienced in foutine winding, was applied to the yarn by passing it between the attendants fingers held in barely-touching relationship just outside the traveller simulator. In the course of testing, any wraps of yarn generated about the spindle acorn were removed after being counted carefully; if no yarn was actually thrown up onto the bobbin where it belonged, it was known that about 42 turns or wraps had accumulated about the spindle acorn (i.e. the total possible length from the 10-foot yarn sampled used). The heights of the ringtraveller at start-up are not always the same, and, hence, the simulator permitted careful control of the upward angle of the yarn as it extended from below the lower ,end of the bobbins up to where the traveller might be situated, in this connection, it is known that the higher positions of the ring are more favorable to yarn pick-up without substantial collection of waste around the spindle acorn. The tabulations which follow are for three papertube bobbins each about 11" in length and having sheet- Inetal lower end caps about 2.25 in outer diameter, their annular end surfaces having a radial width of about All had internahdrive provisions substantially as shown in FIGURE 1, near their upper ends. Bobbin No. 1 possessed a smoothly-rounded lower end cap such as that shown at 15B in FIGURE 6; Bob-bin N0. 2 possessed six alternate depressions and projections (about maximum height) as shown in FIGURES 15; and Bobbin No. 3 was of a modified construction including 16 closelyspaced end projections near the outer periphery and having sides which extended substantially radially toward the center. With the aforementioned spindle, and yarn in 10-foot lengths, and the above-noted accelerations, and with the traveller simulator set to guide the yarn at the listed heights above the lower ends of the bobbins, each bobbin was accelerated ten times, and observations were made of the number of times the yarn was actually thrown up onto the bobbin as desired (i.e. picked up and packaging commenced) and of the number of undesired Wraps (if any) left about the spindle acorn.

For a traveller-simulator setting above the lower bobbin end:

Bobbin Times, out of 10, Unwanted Wraps on yarn picked up Spindle Acorn N 0. 1 (rounded end) 0 All 01' yarn. N o. 2 (six tangential pro- 7 29, 15, 25, 23, 29, 26, 19.

jections). No. 3 (sixteen proiections).- 0 All of yarn.

Bobbin Times Picked Up Unwanted Wraps No. 1 0 All of yarn. No. 2 10 None. N o. 3 1 35.

The tangentially-sided projections assured that the yarn would pick up instantly in the foregoing runs, whereas the rounded-end bobbin (No. 1) did not operate successfully in any of its ten runs, and the radially-sided multiple projections (Bobbin No. 3) yielded improvement only once, with a large collection of waste nevertheless.

7 For a further-increased traveler-simulator height of IA-6!]:

The tangentially-sided projections insured perfect operation in each run, and the radially-sided multiple projections (Bobbin No. 3) worked at least to a marked degree, whereas the rounded end cap of Bobbin No. 1 yielded only failures.

For a traveller-simulator height of /2 Bobbin Times Picked Up Unwanted Wraps 3 36, 36, 37. 10 None.

At this traveller-simulator height, even the rounded end cap (Bobbin No. 1) would occassionally pick up the yarn, though with waste first collected about the acorn. Bobbin No. 3 offered definite improvement, and Bobbin No. 2 again operated to give optimum results both as to pick-up and collection of waste.

For a traveller-simulator height of Bobbin Times Picked Up Unwanted Wraps All of yarn. 10 None. 10 4, 3, 7, 2, 3, 5, rest none.

For a traveller-simulator height of /s:

Bobbin Tirnes Picked Up Unwanted Wraps No. 1 2 34, 35. None.

Under the last two conditions, the tangentially-sided projections continued to work perfectly each time, and the radially-sided projections produced significant improvement in operation.

Similar tests were also made at five runs for each of the same bobbins, but with the start-up acceleration reduced to one-third that of the preceding trials, other factors remaining the same.

For a traveller-simulator height of /s":

None. 12, 11, 12, 12, 8.

For a traveller-simulator height of /2":

Bobbin Times Picked Up Unwanted Wraps 5 20, 23, 21, 18, 21. 5 None 5 For a traveller-simulator height of Bobbin Times Picked Up Unwanted Wraps 5 12, 1a, 17, 10,9. 5 None. 5 Do.

In the four tests reported next above, lowered accelerations at start-up permitted the yarn to be picked up by each of the bobbins, but unwanted waste accumulations about the spindle acorn were eliminated only by the tangentially-sided projections (Bobbin No. 2), although Bobbin No. 3 also reduced these waste accumulations by picking up the yarn faster than could the rounded-end bobbin (No. 1).

Because of the high-speed rotation experienced by the bobbins, it is desirable that the automatic yarn pickup projections be distributed symmetrically about the lower end in an array which will preserve dynamic balance. The embodiment with only two such projections is highly satisfactory, as is also the one with six, and it should be evident that other numbers may be used also. Although it is convenient, in the case of paper-tube bobbins, to form the lower end projections as part of either a separately-made rigid metal end cap or a plastic insert, they may instead be formed integrally with the bobbin tube, as in the case of a molded plastic bobbin unit, for example. Where it is known that the bobbin will be rotated only in one direction, only one side of the end projections may be oriented in the appropriate substantially tangential relationship. Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments and practices described and portrayed have been presented by way of disclosure, rather than limitation, and that various modifications, substitutions and combinations may be effected by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and Scope of this invention in its broader aspects.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An instant-wind bobbin structure for mounting in combination with an elongated rotatable spindle about which turns a filamentary material pulled through a nearby guide unit are wound for starting, comprising an elongated tubular bobbin proportioned to fit in mated relationship with a spindle and having a seat therein shaped to receive driving torques from the spindle, the axial end surfaces of said bobbin which confront the filamentary material extending between the spindle and guide unit having axially-projecting surfaces adjoining axially-depressed surfaces at least at the outer periphery of said axial end surfaces, whereby upon startup of the bobbin the filamentary material is automatically picked up by said axial end surfaces and is laid upon the exterior of the bobbin for winding thereon without substantial prior winding on the spindle.

2. An instant-wind bobbin structure for mounting in combination with an elongated upright rotatable spindle about which turns of filamentary material pulled through a surrounding ring-traveller unit are Wound for starting, comprising an elongated tubular bobbin proportioned to fit in mated relationship with a spindle and having a seat therein shaped to receive driving torques from the spindle, the lower axial end surfaces of said bobbin which confront the filamentary material extending between the spindle and ring-traveller unit having a plurality of symmetrically-arrayed projections extending substantially in the axial direction of said bobbin and separated by axially-depressed surfaces at least at the outer periphery of said lower end surfaces, whereby upon start-up of the bobbin by a spindle the filamentary material is quickly and automatically picked up by one of said projections and is held at said outer periphery to promote immediate winding upon the exterior of the bobbin Without prior winding on the spindle and with reduced likeli- 9 hood of breakage of the material and loading of the ring-traveller unit.

3. An instant-wind bobbin structure for mounting in combination with an elongated upright rotatable spindle about which turns of filamentary material pulled through a surrounding ring-traveller unit are wound for starting, comprising an elongated tubular bobbin proportioned to fit in mated relationship with a spindle and having a seat therein shaped to receive driving torques from the spindle, the lower axial annular end surfaces of said bobbin which confront the filamentary material extending between the spindle and ring-traveller unit having surfaces projecting substantially in the axial direction of said bobbin with relatively shallow sides adjoining surfaces which are relatively depressed in the axial direction, at least one of the sides of said projecting surfaces being disposed at least at the outer periphery of said lower annular end surfaces and extending substantially tangentially to the inner periphery of said annular end surfaces and, therefore, to the exterior of a spindle mated therein, whereby upon start-up of the bobbin in one angular direction by a spindle the filamentary material is quickly and automatically picked up by said one of said sides and is held at said outer periphery without sharp bending to promote immediate winding upon the exterior of the bobbin and propulsion of the ring-traveller unit without prior winding on the spindle and with reduced likelihood of breakage of the material and loading of the ring-traveller unit.

4. An instant-wind bobbin structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein said lower annular end surfaces include a plurality of axially-extending projections which are of maximum depth at said outer periphery and which each include at least one side extending substantially tangentially to said inner periphery and to the exterior of a spindle mated with said bobbin.

5. An instant-wind bobbin structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein both sides of each of said projections extend substantially tangentially to said inner periphery and to the exterior of a spindle mated with said bobbin, and wherein the respective sides of each of said projections are oriented to lie along tangential feed paths of filamentary material wrapped in different directions about a spindle mated with said bobbin, whereby said sides promote eificient pick-up of filamentary material for either direction of rotation of said bobbin.

6. An instant-wind bobbin structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said lower annular end surfaces are by a fitting attached at the lower end of said bobbin, and wherein said lower end surfaces are substantially even and smooth along the inner periphery of said projections.

7. An instant-wind bobbin structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sides of said projections are angularly spaced by predetermined amounts which enable the filamentary material to lie fully between adjacent ones of said sides when picked up and drawn taut by said bobbin.

References (Jited UNITED STATES PATENTS 964,084 7/1910 Boswell 57131 2,262,145 11/1941 Kimpton 57-129 2,614,771 10/1052 Goodhue 242-1251 2,631,787 3/1953 Tate 242-18 2,855,748 10/1958 Baumgarten 57-34 3,051,411 8/1962 Atwood et a1 242-125.1 3,167,262 1/1965 Adams et a1. 246-4621 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,107,004 12/1955 France.

FRANK 1. COHEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INSTANT-WIND BOBBIN STRUCTURE FOR MOUNTING IN COMBINATION WITH AN ELONGATED ROTATABLE SPINDLE ABOUT WHICH TURNS A FILAMENTARY MATERIAL PULLED THROUGH A NEARBY GUIDE UNIT ARE WOUND FOR STARTING, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BOBBIN PROPORTIONED TO FIT IN MATED RELATIONSHIP WITH A SPINDLE AND HAVING A SEAT THEREIN SHAPED TH RECEIVE DRIVING TORQUES FROM THE SPINDLE, THE AXIAL END SURFACES OF SAID BOBBIN WHICH CONFRONT THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SPINDLE AND GUIDE UNIT HAVING AXIALLY-PROJECTION SURFACES ADJOINING AXIALLY-DEPRESSED SURFACES AT LEAST AT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID AXIAL END SURFACES, WHEREBY UPON START-UP OF THE BOBBIN THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL IS AUTOMATICALLY PICKED UP BY SAID AXIAL END SURFACES AND IS LAID UPON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BOBBIN FOR WINDING THEREON WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL PRIOR WINDING ON THE SPINDLE. 